SeanAshi
05-05-2004, 04:44 AM
TYLER, Texas — A man who stockpiled machine guns, bombs and enough cyanide (search) to kill everyone inside a building the size of a small-town civic center was sentenced Tuesday to more than 11 years in prison.
William Krar, 63, pleaded guilty in November to possessing a dangerous chemical weapon and could have gotten life in prison.
His common-law wife, Judith Bruey, 55, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess illegal weapons and was sentenced to nearly five years.
Peter Galbraith, an FBI (search) supervisory agent, said Krar had talked about using sodium cyanide as a weapon. But investigators said they were unable to determine exactly what he intended to do with the arsenal.
"While we do not know the specific plans, and what the specific plans were for these particular weapons and chemicals, we do know that those plans were thwarted, that a potential tragedy was prevented and an existing threat was neutralized," said U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Orwig.
Before he was sentenced, Krar said he never meant to hurt anyone.
"In my 63 years, I've never been in serious trouble. For the record, I'm neither nor a terrorist or a separatist. I've never desired to hurt anyone or the country that I love," Krar said, reading from a folded, yellow paper.
At a news conference, Galbraith said authorities were led to Krar after fraudulent documents he mailed were mistakenly delivered to a Staten Island (search), N.Y., man, who notified authorities.
"For those who may have dozed off after the wake up call of Sept. 11 and the wake up call in Oklahoma City, this investigation is a reminder that it's important for the citizens of the country to help out their law enforcement, to be alert, to be aware," Galbraith said.
Krar's attorney, Tonda Curry, said investigators never produced evidence Krar was involved in a terror plot.
"I don't fault the government for their reaction and for reacting to this case as a domestic terrorism case," Curry said, adding: "I don't think domestic terrorists walk out of the federal court house with an 11-year sentence."
Curry said Krar told her what he intended to do with the stockpile, but that she wasn't at liberty to discuss it.
In April 2003, federal agents raided storage units the couple had rented in Noonday, just south of Tyler in East Texas.
Agents found nearly a half-million rounds of ammunition, more than 60 pipe bombs, machine guns, silencers and remote-controlled bombs disguised as briefcases. Pamphlets on how to make chemical weapons and racist literature were also discovered.
Agents also found nearly two pounds of almost pure sodium cyanide -- enough to kill everyone in a space as big as a high school basketball arena, authorities said.
The findings led to one of the most extensive investigations of domestic terrorism since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Galen Oakes, a friend of Bruey's, said she was duped into following Krar.
"It's kind of a sad day when a gentleman of questionable character destroys the life of a good lady. She was a good person, but she got the wrong guy," he said.
Bruey's attorney, Eric Albritton, said Bruey knew Krar was storing military surplus equipment, but she had no idea about the sodium cyanide. He described Bruey as a "typical middle-aged housewife" who is "still very much in love."
William Krar, 63, pleaded guilty in November to possessing a dangerous chemical weapon and could have gotten life in prison.
His common-law wife, Judith Bruey, 55, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess illegal weapons and was sentenced to nearly five years.
Peter Galbraith, an FBI (search) supervisory agent, said Krar had talked about using sodium cyanide as a weapon. But investigators said they were unable to determine exactly what he intended to do with the arsenal.
"While we do not know the specific plans, and what the specific plans were for these particular weapons and chemicals, we do know that those plans were thwarted, that a potential tragedy was prevented and an existing threat was neutralized," said U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Orwig.
Before he was sentenced, Krar said he never meant to hurt anyone.
"In my 63 years, I've never been in serious trouble. For the record, I'm neither nor a terrorist or a separatist. I've never desired to hurt anyone or the country that I love," Krar said, reading from a folded, yellow paper.
At a news conference, Galbraith said authorities were led to Krar after fraudulent documents he mailed were mistakenly delivered to a Staten Island (search), N.Y., man, who notified authorities.
"For those who may have dozed off after the wake up call of Sept. 11 and the wake up call in Oklahoma City, this investigation is a reminder that it's important for the citizens of the country to help out their law enforcement, to be alert, to be aware," Galbraith said.
Krar's attorney, Tonda Curry, said investigators never produced evidence Krar was involved in a terror plot.
"I don't fault the government for their reaction and for reacting to this case as a domestic terrorism case," Curry said, adding: "I don't think domestic terrorists walk out of the federal court house with an 11-year sentence."
Curry said Krar told her what he intended to do with the stockpile, but that she wasn't at liberty to discuss it.
In April 2003, federal agents raided storage units the couple had rented in Noonday, just south of Tyler in East Texas.
Agents found nearly a half-million rounds of ammunition, more than 60 pipe bombs, machine guns, silencers and remote-controlled bombs disguised as briefcases. Pamphlets on how to make chemical weapons and racist literature were also discovered.
Agents also found nearly two pounds of almost pure sodium cyanide -- enough to kill everyone in a space as big as a high school basketball arena, authorities said.
The findings led to one of the most extensive investigations of domestic terrorism since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Galen Oakes, a friend of Bruey's, said she was duped into following Krar.
"It's kind of a sad day when a gentleman of questionable character destroys the life of a good lady. She was a good person, but she got the wrong guy," he said.
Bruey's attorney, Eric Albritton, said Bruey knew Krar was storing military surplus equipment, but she had no idea about the sodium cyanide. He described Bruey as a "typical middle-aged housewife" who is "still very much in love."